Those great beasts,
which are four, are four kings that arise out of the earth.

But the saints of the Most High
[lit.,“the saints of the high places”] shall take
the kingdom, and possess the kingdom forever, even
forever and ever. (Daniel 7:17, 18)

The final form of
the kingdom of Babylon as it will exist under its last king,
Antichrist, will be a conglomerate of the whole of the kingdom as it
is seen in the book of
Daniel.
When the Stone strikes the image at its feet (feet “part of iron,
and part of clay,”
describing the kingdom in its last days under Antichrist), Scripture
states that the Stone will break in pieces together “the
iron,
the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold
[depicting the kingdom in its final form — a composite form of the
whole of the kingdom, viewed from the days of Antichrist back to the
days of Nebuchadnezzar]” (Daniel
2:32-35,
44, 45).

The Stone
striking the image at its feet forms the biblical description of
Babylon’s prophesied destruction. Throughout “the times of the Gentiles”
(Luke 21:24),
Babylon has never been destroyed. It has been conquered
several times and has faded into obscurity, but it has never been
destroyed.

And Babylon must
not only be destroyed, but, according to the prophecies in
Daniel,
it must be destroyed at a particular time and after a
particular fashion. It must be destroyed at the end of “the times of the
Gentiles”
(actually, the destruction of Babylon is the event that will mark
the end “the times of the Gentiles,”
for Gentile world power will be centered in Babylon at that time),
and it must be destroyed after such a fashion that the
kingdom depicted by the entire image — from the head of gold to the
feet part of iron and part of clay, the kingdom existing from the
days of Nebuchadnezzar to the days of Antichrist — will be destroyed
at the same time, never to rise again. This is what
is meant by the iron, clay, brass, silver,
and gold being “broken to pieces together,”
becoming like the “chaff
from the summer threshing floors,”
and being carried away by “the wind”
(Daniel
2:34,
35).

Thus, since the
kingdom depicted by a part of the image has yet to appear (that part
that is to be smitten), the composite form that the kingdom must
take at the time of its destruction can only await the reemergence
of Babylon in that future day. The image must be complete at
the time of its destruction. This is not something that could have
occurred at any point in history; nor can it occur today. It can
occur only during the future days of Antichrist, during the
days of the last king of Babylon.

And, remaining
within this same line of thought, one can easily understand what is
meant in
Daniel 7:4-6,
11, 12
by the first three great beasts (likened to “a lion,” “a bear,” and
“a leopard”) having their dominion “taken
away”
but their lives “prolonged for a season and time.”
These beasts depict the kingdom as it existed from the days of
Nebuchadnezzar to the days of Alexander the Great; and these three
segments of the kingdom, though they have long since faded into
obscurity, didn’t die. Rather, they are presented in
the book of
Daniel
as living down through time, and they are further presented
in the book as being alive as an integral part of the final
form during the days of Antichrist.

All of the great
beasts
in
Daniel 7:4-7
(a “beast”
in this section of Scripture represents a form of the kingdom of
Babylon [7:17,
23])
will be present together — comprising the final form of the
Babylonian kingdom — and they will be destroyed together.

Note the first
three great beasts in verse twelve
in this respect. Their dominion was taken away (in history, not at
the time of events in the previous verse, v. 11),
but they continued to live, awaiting the days of Antichrist and the
destruction of Babylon in its final form (occurring in v. 11).

Thus, the death
(destruction) of the first three great beasts (v. 12)
occurs at the same time as the death (destruction) of the fourth
great beast — when the Stone strikes the image at its feet and
breaks in pieces together “the
iron,
the clay
[fourth beast], the brass
[third beast], the silver
[second beast],
and the gold
[first beast]” (v.
11; cf. Daniel 2:34, 35, 44, 45).
Verse
twelve
simply provides additional information to help explain verse eleven
and the preceding vision of the four great beasts, and these verses
must be understood in the light of that which had previously been
revealed about the image in chapter two.

Then, “the
kingdom of the world
[one world kingdom, with its governmental center in Babylon]” will
become “the
kingdom of our Lord, and of his Christ
[a theocracy, with its governmental center in Jerusalem — Jerusalem
above and Jerusalem below]” (Revelation
11:15, ASV).
The kingdom will have previously been given to the Son by the Father
(Daniel
7:13,
14; cf. Psalms 2:6-9);
and the Son, at the time of His return, will then take possession of
the kingdom, suddenly and swiftly, through force.

The Stone “cut
out of the mountain without hands”
will smite the image at a time when the kingdom will have reached
its zenith of world power (note that for the first time in
Babylon’s history all four parts of the image will be living
together); and in this manner, Gentile world power will suddenly
and swiftly be brought to an end (Daniel
2:34,
35, 44, 45; 7:11, 23-26;cf. Revelation 19:11-21).

(For additional
information concerning that which is depicted by the image in
Daniel chapter two and the four great beasts in Daniel
chapter seven, refer to the author’s book, The Time of
Jacob’s Trouble, chapter 3.

Also, note Theonomy —
the “Kingdom Now” theology — with particularly respect to the
prophecies in Daniel. Theonomy [very prevalent thought in
certain segments of Christendom today, especially among those in
Charismatic circles] teaches that the Church is to gradually take
over the kingdoms of this world, through present spiritual-political
means, etc. This is looked upon in the same sense as the leaven
permeating the meal, “till the whole was leavened,” in
Matthew 13:33 — a parable often misunderstood and used to depict
the spread of that which is “good” rather than that which is “evil,”
seeking, through this means, to give credence to false ideologies of
this nature. And, viewing matters along these lines, would,
correspondingly, form a major reason for Christians to involve
themselves in the political structure of the present world system
under Satan.

Theonomy is simply a
reemergence of the old postmillennial ideology [restructured for the
times, etc.], prevalent in Christendom during pre-WWII days. And it
is no truer in its restructured form today than it was in its
original form. According to Scripture, the Church can have no part
— nor should the Church even seek to have a part — in bringing to
pass the kingdoms of the present world system being controlled and
governed by the Lord at the time of His return.

Rather, nothing
can be done along the lines of a change in administration until that
day when there is once again one world kingdom with its governmental
center located in Babylon. It will be then, not before, that
the Stone will strike the image at its feet; it will be then,
not before, that “the kingdom of the world” will become “the
kingdom of our Lord, and of His Christ” [Daniel 2:34,
35, 44, 45; Revelation 11:15]; and it will be
then, not before, that “the kingdom and dominion, and
the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be
given to the people of the saints of the most High [lit., ‘the
saints of the high places’ (i.e., ‘heavenly places’)]…” [Daniel
7:23-27;cf. v. 18].

Also, in this same
respect, as previously seen, “the times of the Gentiles” will
end with the Stone striking the image at its feet, not before.
Thus, this period, which began with Babylon under Nebuchadnezzar,
cannot end before Babylon appears in its final form under
Antichrist.

Some have sought to
teach that “the times of the Gentiles” came to an end when
the Jews retook the old city of Jerusalem in the 1967 Six-Day War,
allowing them to once again have access to the Temple Mount, with a
view to rebuilding the temple. However, the Jews having access to
or coming into possession of the Temple Mount has nothing to do with
the matter. They possessed this Mount in history during “the
times of the Gentiles” [from about 536 B.C. to 70 A.D.], and
they will possess it once again in the immediate future during “the
times of the Gentiles” [during the first part of the
Tribulation, when the Jewish people rebuild their temple]. Aside
from that, both Luke 21:24 and Revelation 11:2
specifically place the termination of “the times of the Gentiles”
at the end of the Tribulation, which is when Babylon will be
destroyed.)

Saints of the
High Places

The scriptural
references, “kingdom of the heavens”
in the gospel of
Matthew,
“heavenly places”
in
Ephesians,
and “heavenly calling”
in Hebrews,
do not form companion references peculiar to the New
Testament. Rather, the overall thought of man occupying heavenly
positions in the kingdom, as opposed to earthly positions, was
previously set forth in different places in the Old Testament,
beginning in
Genesis
(cf.
Genesis 14:18, 19; 15:5; 22:17, 18).

Abraham, five
centuries prior to the time of any written revelation, understood
this matter and looked toward a calling beyond the earthly, to a
heavenly (Hebrews
11:8-16).
And numerous other Old Testament saints living at different times
following Abraham did exactly the same thing. They looked beyond
the earthly to the heavenly as well (Hebrews
11:32-40).

Thus, it is
nothing new in either Old or New Testament revelation when one finds
a reference to saints being placed in positions of power and
authority in the heavens following the overthrow of this present
world system, as in the book of
Daniel,
the gospel of Matthew,
Ephesians,
or
Hebrews.
This is a teaching which has its origin in Genesis.

Satan and his
angels presently rule from the heavens over the earth, and Christ
with His co-heirs will one day replace the incumbent governmental
powers and rule from the same location, from the heavens. Christ
will replace Satan, and Christians will replace the angels ruling
under Satan. The whole matter is really set forth in Scripture
after that simple of a fashion.

1. Israel in
the Old Testament

Two millennia
following Adam’s fall, God called one man out of the human race to
be the instrument through whom His plans and purposes for having
brought man into existence would ultimately be realized. God called
Abraham out from Ur of the Chaldees. And through the nation that
would emanate from the loins of Abraham through Isaac and Jacob, God
was going to accomplish three things: (a) provide man with a
Redeemer, (b) provide man with a written revelation, revealing His
plans and purposes, and (c) ultimately place man in the position for
which he had been created.

The first two of
these three purposes have been realized, but the latter waits for
fulfillment. It waits for that day in the immediate future when
Babylon reemerges as the center of Gentile world power, with the
last king of Babylon present.

In the Old
Testament, Israel was made the repository for both earthly and
heavenly blessings. When viewing Scriptures such as Genesis 14:18, 19; 15:5;
22:17, 18; Daniel 7:18-27,
Israel alone was in view. And the same would be true in
Matthew 8:11, 12
where Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob are seen, in that future day, in the
kingdom of the heavens. Accordingly, those cast into the darkness
outside at this time would have to be looked upon as Israelites
(i.e., saved individuals who could have been in the kingdom but,
because of unfaithfulness, were cast without [note that the subject
matter in this passage has to do with entrance into or exclusion
from the heavenly sphere of the kingdom, not with matters
surrounding eternal salvation or eternal damnation]).

There was no
Church at this time. Aside from that fact, all spiritual promises
and blessings must be realized through, and only through,
the seed of Abraham. Thus, only Israel could possibly
have been in view.

(And this will
explain a central reason why Christ, when commissioning His twelve
disciples to carry the message concerning the kingdom of the heavens
to Israel, specifically told them, “Do not go into the way of the
Gentiles…” [Matthew 10:5-8]. Israel alone was the
repository for the promises and blessings associated with the
proffered kingdom of the heavens.

The Gentiles were “aliens
from the commonwealth of Israel…” [Ephesians 2:12].
“Commonwealth” in this passage is a translation of the Greek word
politeia, a cognate form of politeuma, having to do with
one’s “political sphere of activity” [refer to the section,
“Christians and Politics,” chapter 2].)

Since Israel
alone was in view after this fashion, how can the Church later fit
into certain Old Testament promises (or passages such as
Matthew 8:11,
12),
which it does? And, since the Church does later fit into certain
promises and blessings given to Abraham and his descendants through
Isaac and Jacob (or certain passages in the gospel accounts) — which
had to do with Israel alone at the time they were given — where does
this presently leave Israel?

Has the Church
supplanted Israel, leaving Israel with nothing? Has God finished,
is God through, with Israel within His plans and purposes in
relation to man?

Some understand
matters after the preceding fashion, but Scripture teaches something
entirely different. God is no more through with Israel today than
He was when certain promises were made to Abraham at the time he was
called out of Ur of the Chaldees, four millennia ago. Israel, as in
Moses’ day, is still God’s firstborn son (“sonship” implies
rulership), and Israel will yet occupy her firstborn status
in relation to the nations.

(This is what was in
view when God announced Israel’s firstborn status in Exodus 4:22,
23 [cf. Exodus 19:5, 6], at the time Israel was
called out of Egypt. And God will yet deal with Israel after the
fashion set forth in Exodus, establishing Israel at the head
of the nations following Israel’s removal from a worldwide
dispersion at the time of Christ’s return [typified by the nation’s
removal from Egypt at the time of Moses’ return; cf. Exodus
2:23-25; 3:10; 12:40, 41; Deuteronomy
30:1-3; Isaiah 2:1-5; Jeremiah 31:31-34].)

Paul, in
Romans 11:1, 2,
raised the issue concerning Israel’s present and future status; and
he responded after a fashion that leaves no room for questions along
these lines:

I say then, has God cast away His people? Absolutely not! For I
also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the
tribe of Benjamin.

God has not cast away His people whom He foreknew.… (Romans 11:1,
2)

The words, “Absolutely
not,”
are a translation of a Greek negative appearing with a verb in the
optative mood, which is a very rare mood in the Greek New
Testament. Paul used this expression fourteen of the fifteen times
in which it appears in the New Testament, and he used it mainly to
express his abhorrence to an inference that he had raised (cf.
Romans 3:4, 6, 31; Galatians 2:17; 3:21;
6:14).

The inference in
Romans 11:1
had to do with God casting Israel aside, which was declared to be
something completely abhorrent to Paul’s way of thinking. Paul,
through the use of the optative mood, declared that such an act, in
reality, was “impossible” (i.e., it was “impossible” for God to cast
away His people, Israel).

Then, later in
the same chapter, in keeping with what he had declared concerning
Israel, he reviewed the present status and future history of Israel
(vv.
17-29).
And neither Israel’s present status nor future history had anything
to do with a nation removed from God’s plans and purposes. Rather,
exactly the opposite was true. Paul’s portrayal of Israel set forth
a nation — separate from the other nations of the earth — which had
been, presently remains, and always will be an integral part of
God’s plans and purposes.

2. Christians
in the New Testament

But, if God
already had a nation through which His plans and purposes could be
realized, why call into existence a new entity — the Church —
through which at least a part of His plans and purposes would, as
well, be realized? Why did God not just simply accomplish the
entire matter through the lineal descendants of Abraham, leaving
matters, in this respect, as they had stood for the preceding two
millennia?

The answer is
derived from that which Israel did at Christ’s first coming,
resulting in reciprocal action on Christ’s part. Israel, as a
nation, rejected the proffered kingdom of the heavens. And, not
only did the Jewish people reject the message, but they rejected the
Messenger as well, ultimately crucifying Him.

The nation’s
rejection of the kingdom of the heavens resulted in this facet of
the kingdom (the heavenly promises and blessings) being taken from
Israel, with a new entity — the Church — then being called into
existence to be the recipient of that which Israel had rejected.

Following the
offer and subsequent rejection of the kingdom of the heavens, with
the events of Calvary only several days away, Christ responded to
that which Israel had done (and was about to climax at Calvary)
through removing the nation from the position it held relative to
heavenly promises and blessings. At that time, concluding a parable
dealing with the Householder and His vineyard (Matthew
21:33-39)
— which had to do with matters surrounding Christ and Israel —
Christ allowed the religious leaders in Israel the opportunity to
seal their own fate in this respect.

Christ asked,

Therefore,
when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to
those vinedressers [the Jews, those to whom He was speaking, the
ones who had rejected the Householder’s Son and were about to cast
Him out of the vineyard and slay Him]?

They
[these Jewish religious leaders, not yet realizing that He was
speaking about them and the nation at large, responded] said to
Him, “He will destroy those wicked men miserably, and lease his
vineyard to other vinedressers who will render to him the fruits in
their seasons.” (vv. 40, 41; cf. v. 45)

It was then that
Christ drew from the Old Testament Scriptures, identifying Himself
as the Chief Corner Stone, the One whom the nation had rejected and
was about to cast out of the vineyard and slay (v.
42; cf. Psalms 118:22, 23).
And He then made the announcement concerning the proffered kingdom
being taken from Israel, in complete keeping with that which the
Jewish religious leaders had already stated:

Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God [referring to that facet of the
kingdom of God which had been offered, the heavenly portion of the
kingdom] will be taken from you and given to a nation bearing the
fruits of it. (v. 43)

Then the Church,
an entirely new entity, whose future existence had been previously
announced (Matthew 16:18),
was shortly thereafter called into existence for the express purpose
of being that “nation bearing the
fruits of it”
(1
Peter 2:9,
10).
And since all spiritual blessings and promises must flow through
Abraham and his progeny (Genesis
12:1-3;
22:17, 18),
the Church, in order to be the “nation”
spoken of in Matthew 21:43
and 1 Peter 2:9,
must be identified with Abraham.

This is
accomplished through the Christians’ positional standing “in
Christ.”
Christ is Abraham’s Seed, and Christians, through their positional
standing “in
Christ,”
are likewise “Abraham’s
seed, and heirs according to the promise”
(Galatians
3:16,
29).

Thus, during the
coming age, in relation to the government of the earth and in line
with
Genesis 22:17,
18,
the Seed of Abraham will occupy positions in both heavenly
and earthly places, though the vast majority of the numerous
individuals occupying heavenly places in the kingdom will not be
lineal descendants of Abraham through Isaac and Jacob. Rather,
they will have become “Abraham’s
seed”
through their positional standing “in
Christ.”

Governmental rule
will emanate from both Jerusalem above and Jerusalem below. Christ
with His “companions,” His “co-heirs,” will rule from His Own throne
in Jerusalem above (the New Jerusalem, which will apparently be a
satellite city of the earth at this time); and Christ Himself will
also rule from David’s throne in the midst of Israel in Jerusalem
below (Jerusalem in the earthly land covenanted to Abraham, Isaac,
and Jacob).

(In the preceding
respect, Christ will have a dual reign at this time — both from His
own throne in the heavens and from David’s throne on the earth. But
neither Israel nor the Church will occupy a dual status of this
nature. Israel will be placed at the head of the nations on the
earth, and the Church will rule from the heavens over the earth
[which will include all nations, even Israel; cf. Matthew 19:28;
Revelation 2:26, 27; 3:21].)

Since the Church
has become the repository for the heavenly promises and blessings
originally held by Israel, sections of Old Testament Scripture such
as Abraham’s seed likened to “the stars of the heaven”
(Genesis 22:17, 18)
or “the saints of the most High
[‘saints of the high places’ (‘heavenly places’)]” (Daniel
7:18,
22, 25, 27)
would today relate to the Church. This would also be true
concerning sections in the gospel accounts having to do with the
kingdom of the heavens, such as entrance into the kingdom in Matthew 7:13,
14, 21-23; 8:11, 12.

But all of this
has nothing to do with Israel’s earthly promises and blessings.
These have not been and can never be taken from
Israel. And during the coming age, following Israel’s repentance,
conversion, and restoration to the land, that which was promised
through Abraham relative to the nation’s earthly calling will be
realized.

(But what about those
Old Testament saints who looked toward heavenly promises and
blessings and died in the faith prior to Christ’s announcement in
Matthew 21:43? Scripture clearly reveals that the removal of
this (heavenly) facet of the kingdom from Israel’s possession at
Christ’s first coming cannot make null and void any previous
acceptance by individual Jews of that which God had promised [cf.
Matthew 8:11, 12; Hebrews 11:13-16, 39, 40].
Christ’s announcement in Matthew 21:43 though does forever
do away with Israel as a nation occupying such a position,
continuing to be the repository for these heavenly promises and
blessings.

Following Christ’s
announcement to Israel concerning the kingdom, only one way
has existed for Jews to come into a realization of heavenly promises
and blessings. They must become a part of the one new man “in
Christ” through faith in Israel’s Messiah, the Lord Jesus
Christ. Doing this, they relinquish their national identity and
earthly calling, becoming “fellowheirs” with believing
Gentiles, who have also relinquished their national identity [but,
unlike Jews, had no calling to relinquish (Ephesians 2:12)].
And, “in Christ,” where “there is neither Jew nor Greek
[Gentile],” they both, together — as one new man — become
partakers of a higher calling, a “heavenly calling” [Galatians
3:26-29; Ephesians 2:13-15; 3:1-6; Hebrews 3:1].)

The Millennium
and Beyond

According to
Daniel 7:18,
22, 27,
the day is coming when “the
saints of the most High
[‘saints of the high places’ (‘heavenly places’)]” are going to take
and possess the kingdom. It will be exactly the same kingdom
that presently exists under Satan — a governed province within God’s
universal kingdom. That’s why Scripture states,

The kingdom of this world
[the present existing kingdom, under Satan] is become the kingdom
of our Lord and of His Christ [the same kingdom, but under a new
administration] . . . . (Revelation 11:15, ASV)

In the type, in
the books of 1&2 Samuel,
when Saul was finally put down and David with his faithful men moved
in and took over the government, they took and possessed the same
kingdom that had previously existed under Saul. It was the
kingdom of Israel. The change was in the administration of
the kingdom, not in the kingdom itself.

(Refer to the
Appendix for additional information concerning the typology seen in
the books of 1&2 Samuel.)

And, as seen in
the typology of the books of 1&2
Samuel,
so will it be in the antitype. When Christ and His co-heirs move in
and take over the government, they will rule the same kingdom
that Satan and his angels previously ruled. They will rule the one
province in the kingdom of God into which chaos entered, and they
will rule this province for a specified period of time — for 1,000
years — in order to effect a complete restoration of order in this
one part of God’s universal kingdom.

This is the
matter dealt with in 1 Corinthians 15:24-28:

Then comes the end,
when He delivers the kingdom to God the Father, when He
puts an end to all rule and all authority and power.

For He must reign till He has put all enemies under His feet.

The last enemy that will be destroyed is death.

For He has put all things under His feet. But when He says “all
things are put under Him,” it is evident that He who put all
things under Him is excepted.

Now when all things are made subject to Him, then the Son
Himself will also be subject to Him who put all things under Him
that God may be all in all. (1 Corinthians 15:24-28)

At the beginning
of the Millennium, the curse will be lifted (with the creation
restored to its condition preceding the fall), and there will be
literally millions of individuals (Jews and Gentiles alike [both
saved and unsaved among the Gentiles]) entering the earthly sphere
of the kingdom ruled by Christ and His co-heirs, with Israel placed
at the head of the nations on earth [cf.
Isaiah 11:6-9; 35:1ff; Acts 3:19-21]).
Israel will provide the evangels to carry God’s message to the ends
of the earth during this period; and it will require 1,000 years of
a righteous rule, “with
a rod of iron,”
to bring about complete order out of chaos.

That is, when
Christ returns, Gentile world power will be destroyed, suddenly,
swiftly, and completely, with Satan and his angels being
correspondingly put down after the same fashion. Satan will be
bound and cast into the abyss. Then the physical creation will be
restored, Israel will be saved and restored to the land at the head
of the nations on earth, Christians (previously shown qualified at
the judgment seat) will be positioned “in heavenly places”
in view of their impending rule as co-heirs with Christ, and the
Gentiles surviving the Tribulation will then form the nations
entering the kingdom on earth (cf. Matthew
24:13, 14, 31; 25:20-23; Revelation
20:1-3).

These things will
apparently occur within the scope of a seventy-five-day period that
will exist between the end of the Tribulation and the beginning of
the Millennium (Daniel 12:11, 12);
but even with conditions as such, God is still going to take
1,000 years beyond that point to bring complete order out of chaos.

(Matthew 25:31-46
comprises a section of the Olivet Discourse often used
attempting to show that only saved individuals will populate the
earth at the beginning of the millennium. Those following this line
of thought teach that this section has to do with a judgment of all
living Gentiles surviving the Tribulation, both saved and unsaved,
with the saved being allowed to enter into the kingdom and the
unsaved being cast into the lake of fire.

A teaching of this
nature has its sole basis in a misunderstanding of this section of
Scripture. By its own internal evidence, eternal salvation or
damnation is not the subject matter in Matthew 25:31-46.
The subject at hand has to do with realizing or not realizing an
inheritance in the kingdom, not with eternal verities [v. 34].

And, in keeping
with the preceding, the Greek word aionios, translated “everlasting”
and “eternal”
in
vv. 41, 46
would, in the light of
v. 34,
have to be understood as “age-lasting,” not “eternal” as it has been
translated in most versions of Scripture.

Neither the
Hebrew of the Old Testament nor the Greek of the New Testament
contains a word for “eternal.” Olam is the word translated
“eternal,” “everlasting,” or “perpetual” in English translations of
the Old Testament, and aion [a noun] or aionios [the
adjective form of aion] are the words translated “eternal” or
“everlasting” in the New Testament [aidios, an older form of
aionios, used only two times and meaning exactly the same as
aionios, is the only exception (Romans
1:20
and Jude 6)].

Olam,
aion, and aionios all have to do with “a long period of
time,” which, if the context permits, can refer to “eternity” [e.g.,
the Aionios God in
Romans 16:26].
But the words standing alone, apart from a context, cannot be
understood as “eternal.” Context is the all-important factor
to ascertain the length of time in view when these words are used.

Aion and aionios
are usually thought of and used numerous times in the New
Testament in the sense of “an age.” And a usage of this nature is
even brought over into English. For example, the English word “aeon
[or ‘eon’]” is derived from the Greek word aion.

The only way in
which the Greek text can express “eternal” apart from textual
considerations is through a use of aion in the plural [e.g.,
Luke 1:33; Hebrews 13:8,
referring to “the ages,” i.e., ages without end, which would
comprise eternity] or a double use of aion, in the
plural and articular both times [e.g., Revelation 1:6; 4:9,
10,
referring to “the ages of the ages,” again, ages without end].

And the use of
aionios in
Matthew 25:41,
46,
referring to an inverse of that seen in verse
thirty-four
[failing to realize an inheritance in the kingdom] can only be
understood as “age-lasting.” It can only be understood as referring
to the outcome of a judgment of unfaithful saved Gentiles coming out
of the Tribulation.

A judgment of the
unsaved, with eternal verities in view, could not possibly be the
subject at hand in Matthew 25:41, 46.
First, the context will not permit such an understanding of these
verses; and second, inheritance in the kingdom, contextually in
view, would limit this judgment to the saved alone. Note
Romans 8:17:
“And
if children,
then heirs…”

“Sheep”
and “goats”
[vv. 32,
33],
can only be understood contextually as a metaphorical way of
describing two classes of saved individuals, similar to the parable
of the wheat and the tares in
Matthew 13:24-30.
The unsaved and eternal verities simply cannot be in view in either
passage. Rather, in both passages, only the saved, with a view to
an inheritance or non-inheritance in the kingdom, can be in view.

The extensive use of
“metaphors” in sections of Scripture such as Matthew 13,
24, 25must be recognized. Note, for example,
“meat” or “food” in Matthew 24:45; 25:35, 42,
all part of the same discourse. The use is metaphorical in chapter
twenty four [referring to that which is spiritual, the Word
of God], when dealing with the judgment of a servant; and the
servant rendering an account at the time of his Lord’s return is
with a view to regality [realizing or not realizing a
position with Christ in the kingdom (cf. Luke 12:42-48)].
Why should the matter be viewed after any different fashion in
chapter twenty-five when also dealing with a judgment of
individuals at the time of the Lord’s return, with a view to
inheritance in the kingdom [exactly the same as regality previously
seen in chapter twenty-four, though stated in a different
manner]?

Understanding the
preceding after this fashion [which, in reality, is the only
contextually correct way to view this section of Scripture] will,
again, show that only saved individuals can possibly be in
view throughout Matthew 25:31-46. Both those depicted by the
“sheep” and the “goats” are seen as being in a position to dispense
“meat,” “food.” Unsaved man cannot occupy a position of this
nature.

There is no such
thing in Scripture as a judgment of unsaved Gentiles at the end of
Man’s Day, prior to the millennium. Rather, the millennium itself
will form their judgment in this respect, for the millennium will
simply be 1,000 years of a righteous judgment, when Christ and His
co-heirs will rule the nations with a rod of iron.)

Man, on the earth
during the Messianic Era, will possess a body of flesh, blood, and
bone, with the old sin nature still present (i.e., he will possess a
“natural”
body [a “soulical” body; Greek: psuchikos,
Romans 2:24;
1 Corinthians 15:44, 46],
identical to that which man possesses today). This will be true
both within the camp of Israel and among the Gentile nations. This
is the reason Christ will be a King-Priest, after the order of
Melchizedek at this time. He will not only be King over the earth
but He will also exercise a priestly office as well, representing
man to God and God to man. And Christ must be a Priest after a new
order, under a new covenant, on Israel’s behalf, for He is not of
the Aaronic line.

(Note that Christ can
presently exercise a ministry in the heavenly sanctuary after the
order of Aaron, though not of the Aaronic line, for the simple
reason that His ministry today is on behalf of Christians [who do
not come under covenants made with Israel] rather than with Israel
[with whom the old covenant was made]. Christ could not exercise a
priestly ministry on behalf of Israel after the order of Aaron
[present or future], which will necessitate a change in the
priesthood when God restores Israel [Hebrews 7:11, 12].)

Man, on the earth
during that future day, still possessing the old sin nature, will
beget children who must be redeemed; and sin and death will
correspondingly occur within activities surrounding man at that
time. And, as a consequence of man’s condition, Scripture presents
the possibility of man rebelling against the authority that will
emanate from Jerusalem above and from Jerusalem below (Isaiah 65:20;
Zechariah 14:16-19)
— something clearly seen in its climactic form in that which is
revealed concerning Satan being loosed at the end of the millennium
and leading a number described as “the
sand of the sea”
in rebellion against the King in Jerusalem (Revelation
20:7-9).

And within this
whole scenario lies the reason God has set aside 1,000 years to
bring complete order out of chaos. As previously stated, Christ and
His co-heirs will reign — “with
a rod of iron,”
breaking the nations and dashing them into pieces,
likened unto “a potter’s vessel”
being struck and shattered (cf.
Psalms 2:6-9; Revelation 2:26, 27)
— until all things have been brought under subjection.

At the end of the
1,000 years — after all things have been “subdued”
by Christ and He has “delivered
up”
the kingdom to the Father (1
Corinthians 15:24,
28)
— “all
things”
will then be made new. Then, not before, there will be no
more “death…sorrow…crying…pain…”
In that day there will be no need for a priest to represent man to
God and God to man, for God Himself will dwell with man, “and they shall be His
people, and God Himself shall be with them, and be their God”
(Revelation
21:3-5).

This will be the
scene beyond the millennium, after complete order once again exists
in all parts of God’s universal kingdom. There will be a “new heaven
[the heaven associated with this earth and solar system, not the
universe] and a new earth”
(Revelation
21:1).
The New Jerusalem will be the capital of the new earth (Revelation
21:2),
which probably will be a much larger earth than presently exists,
large enough to accommodate a city of this size. And universal
rule will emanate from “the throne of God and of the Lamb”
on the new earth (Revelation 22:1-3).
That is, God Himself will dwell on the new earth and, with His Son,
rule the universe from this location.

And man, in that
day, will come into a complete realization of the purpose
that God had in mind for His creation in the beginning. Up to this
time, man’s rule will have been limited to the earth alone.
But, during the eternal ages following the millennium, man will
exercise positions of power and authority of a universal nature
in God’s kingdom. And even the saved Gentile nations and those
Christians not holding positions of power and authority during the
millennium will be brought into and have a part in this rule (Revelation 21:4; 22:2,
5).